Recent accomplishments earned by members of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln community include those by faculty Edgar Cahoon, Steve Kachman, Kathleen Krone, Brian Lepard, Colleen Medill and Santosh Pitla, as well as the student chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management.

Faculty/Staff

Edgar Cahoon, professor of biochemistry and director of the Center for Plant Science Innovation, received the Terry Galliard Medal on July 5 at the 22nd International Symposium on Plant Lipids in Göttingen, Germany. The Terry Galliard Medal is awarded biennially to a scientist who has made highly significant contributions to the field of plant lipid research based on a vote of the international plant lipid community. Cahoon was recognized for his research into biochemical pathways for unusual fatty acids in the plant kingdom, the structural basis for fatty acid desaturase substrate specificities, plant sphingolipid and vitamin E metabolism as well as contributions to plant lipid biotechnology. In addition to receiving the award, Cahoon presented the Terry Galliard Lectureship at the symposium. The talk was titled “Unusual Fatty Acid Metabolism: Learning from the Less Common.”

Steve Kachman, professor of statistics, was presented with the Beef Improvement Federation Continuing Service Award June 15. The honor recognizes individuals who have made major contributions to the organization. This includes serving on the board of directors, speaking at Beef Improvement Federation conventions, working on federation guidelines and other behind-the-scenes activities. For more information, click here.

Kathleen Krone, professor of communication studies, and Stacy Tye-Williams, Iowa State University, have been awarded the Management Communication Quarterly Article of the Year for, “Chaos, Reports, and Quests: Narrative Agency and Co-Workers in Stories of Workplace Bullying.” Examining narratives provided by the targets of bullying, they demonstrate the difference organizational members can make in a coworker’s ability to withstand bullying and frame his or her experience. The study makes important contributions to understanding workplace bullying and provides important insights for practitioners. Click here for the full article.

Brian Lepard, professor of law, is the 2015-16 recipient of the John H. Binning Award for Excellence. This award is provided annually to a professor who excels in teaching, research or public service. This year, Lepard published two book chapters, a book review, updates for a tax book and completed the manuscript for an edited book with the Cambridge University Press. For more information, click here.

Colleen Medill, professor of law, is the 2015-16 recipient of the Ray H. Bunger Memorial Award for Excellence. This annual award is chosen on the basis of demonstrated excellence in teaching, research, academic promise and achievement related to the fulfillment of the research and teaching mission of the University of Nebraska College of Law. This past year, Medill placed two articles with highly respected journals, the Iowa Law Review and the peer-reviewed Employee Rights and Employment Policy Journal. She also gave a variety of presentations throughout the region and the country. She is nationally recognized in three different academic areas — ERISA, Property and Legal Skills — because of the quality of her written work in each of these areas. Medill has also engaged the faculty in an important conversation about developing learning outcomes across our curriculum and she has helped put Nebraska Law at the forefront of this national effort. For more information, click here.

Santosh Pitla, assistant professor of biological systems engineering, received the 2016 Sunkist Young Designer Award at the annual meeting of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers on July 18 in Orlando, Florida. Pitla is an 11-year member of ASABE and is extensively involved in the society’s technical committees. He has provided leadership in both the soil-plant-machine dynamics and the soil dynamics research committees. Pitla has served as a moderator for several technical sessions at ASABE meetings and supports student activities. He also designed the 2011 ASABE robotics competition. Established in 1972, this award recognizes and honors ASABE members under 40 years of age, for outstanding contributions to the advancement of the profession and to stimulate professional achievement.

Students

The UNL student chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management received a 2015-16 Merit Award designation from the national SHRM organization. The award recognizes the chapter for providing superior growth and development opportunities to its members. The chapter hosted more than 12 meetings during the 2015-16 school year at which human resource professionals from several industries spoke to the group. The chapter also toured Assurity Life Center, and in early April, students attended the two-day SHRM Student Summit and case competitions in Omaha. Open to all students on campus, the UNL student chapter of SHRM provides opportunities to learn more about the human resources field, network with professionals, become familiar with goals and the experience of club members, and participate in conferences and competitions. For more information, click here.

This column is a regular Friday feature of UNL Today. Faculty, staff and students can submit their achievements to be considered for this column via email to achievements@unl.edu. For more information, call 402-472-8515.